THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

25 November 2014

JACK BE NIMBLE


I wish I had his energy. The above is him, mid-pounce like a polar bear breaking through ice to get to a seal. Will he ever slow down I wonder? 
 



At last; a decent picture of Snippet:


Back to his bum:



Jack does stop sometimes but always alert:



But not for long:


Snip CAN do it once he's warmed up a bit:


At the end of last week it was incredibly misty:


Nothing will deter the nimble one:





I tried fiddling with the exposure of these misty ones but they looked ridiculous and this really is what it was like:


I think the marsh looks at it's most beautiful and mysterious this way:


A few other things from this week.....

Crow:


Last Thursday I had a very welcome visit from Seagull Susie who writes the great blog Beautiful Brixham (http://brixhamlife.blogspot.co.uk/ ). We went for a walk with the dogs and spotted these strange yellow things on some grass blades. I have absolutely no idea what they are....fungi? Eggs? Can someone please enlighten me?



We saw this beautiful little fungus too. Only one I've ever seen like it:


A young Stonechat experiencing its first winter:


More crows:


Our first proper frost AT LAST yesterday morning! We can finally harvest our Jerusalem Artichokes. Isn't the sky beautiful? This was about 7.30am:




Frosty Witches' Butter on the Gorse:


A dead Foxglove with a frosting:


This looks almost unreal I think:


Frosty grass:


Frosty gate on the way to school:


Cotoneaster in my mum's garden in Chagford:


Fleabane which my mum has always called Mexican Daisy; not looking very Mexican here:


This week OB has decided to get the bus into school as well as home which has been surprisingly disruptive given it should make life easier. Being lateness averse in a massive way, we always leave much earlier than we need to which also means I can get to my mum's by 9.00 to sort her out or take her to Waitrose on a Wednesday. Now, with the bus arriving at about twenty to eight, I'm champing at the bit waiting to discretely follow them in the car. The reason we're doing it is so that he gets used to being more responsible about getting his stuff ready and not relying on us so much reminding him about homework etc. The Aspergers mind is not renowned for its ability with what I now know to be called 'executive functioning'. I can't tell you how often he walks out of the door in the morning clutching a piece of Origami but leaving his coat and bag on the sofa. According to the book recommended by GOSH, 'Late, Lost and Unprepared', we have to try and create a 'prosthetic' environment where, subtly, we make it easier for him to remember things. For example, we have dedicated places for things he has to remember, close to where he is most likely to spot them if you see what I mean. I can't say my executive functioning is great but I've learnt to make copious lists and look at the calendar many times a day!

Things are not moving fast regarding the insulin pump. I had a letter with a booking code but when I rang the number, they seemed thrown by my choice of Exeter Hospital over Torbay (no competition I'm afraid) and said they'd have to pass my details on and get them to write to me. More waiting.....

Right, time to make sure OB is reading a 'proper' book rather than a Wimpy Kid one to which he is addicted but rationed as I'm concerned he'll lose the ability to cope with text without pictures. So, until next time, here are those dogs on their way up to Kestor on that frosty morning. Sorry about the overuse of the term 'frosty' by the way.........there it is again. 


60 comments:

  1. Hi Em!
    Those dogs must just LOVE living on the Moors!
    Hope OB does well on his bus trips♥️
    Enjoy your week...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  2. I have NEVER seen a fungus like that, either. The 'eggs' could be a form of slime-mould, but I am not sure. Good luck with the rest of it.

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    1. I have a tip from Weaver so I'm going to ask her source for ID advice....

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  3. Outstanding beautiful !
    You live in the most lovely place.
    And Jack is very nimble till age hits. He is still very young right ?
    Love they way he runs it always is a ponce rather like a hare, than a straight run.
    He is so funny.
    So happy to see Snippet. He seems to have the second child syndrome going for him.

    Two vets to different ideas. Friday night either Watson had a stroke or a nerve /disk infraction ?
    More about this on my Friday post.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Jack is about 18 months old now so still very puppy-ish.

      Poor Watson! I'll go over and find out what's going on with him. I had a cat who had a stroke - never diagnosed but I'm sure that's what it was.

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  4. Replies
    1. Thanks Roy. It was even more beautiful in reality.

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  5. BOING BOING BOING BOING BOING BOING!
    Completely distracted by the handsome Jack..oh, here we go again...BOING BOING BOING BOING.
    Jane x

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  6. Love your frosty pics. Mexican daisy seeds have germinated! I'm keeping them in the greenhouse, is that right?

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    1. Well mum never bothered I don't think, but I think you;re very wise and if they've germinated that's fantastic!

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  7. My son is very forgetful as well. He forgot his schedule on the first day of school. Has OB tried Percy Jackson or Artemis Fowl? My favorites are Judy Moody and Junie B Jones. You can't read them without laughing out loud.

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    1. He quite liked Percy Jackson and he loved the Mr Gum books. He's about half way through the Alex Rider series but he'll always go back to the comic ones if he can!

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  8. I got numb fingers and toes just looking at your lovely frosty pictures! I like the idea of 'dedicated places' - most mothers of boys would find that idea useful!

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    1. Well what the book pointed out is that as adults we do exactly that....keys in a bowl.......bag by the door. We just forget to put those things in place for a child I suppose. We're getting there slowly.

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  9. Absolutely beautiful photos!
    So fun to see Jack pounce. Our dog Mickey is 10 years old. He's filled with energy and enthusiasm for life. I look at him and think "dog, you're 70 in human years. I wish I had half of your joy".
    Taking the bus seems like a big step. Here's hoping it gets easier for all, and here's wishing you the best in getting the pump soon.

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    1. He's been getting the bus home for six years but never going in. All the other children are having to get on ten minutes earlier as a result of coming all the way up here!

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  10. This is my first comment to your blog. I love your photographs. Thank you so much for sharing the great photos that you do.

    I just have one observation/correction for this blog entry - your crows are Rooks. I'm from the US, so don't take my word for it. But do have another look.

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    1. I think you're right Cathy. At a distance it's difficult to tell isn't it? I've blown them up and I think I can see that tell tale baldy bit between beak and head. Thank you!

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  11. I would not last a minute on your moor, but can look at your pictures forever.

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    1. It can be bleak and wet and dangerous but I love it anyway.

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  12. HI I am glad OB is getting the bus now. it will make him feel better in himself. Hope the insulin pump comes soon. Now all the 'frosty' shots are so beautiful. The Moors is that weather is magical and all your shots are wonderful. Jack be nimble andcertainlly Jack is quick!!

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    1. He's unbelievably quick. Much faster than Snippet despite being almost half his size. No fur!

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  13. I love to see the photos of the dogs bounding around and having so much fun, they are always so full of life aren't they. The frosty pictures are beautiful too, especially the cotoneaster one. I hope that all goes well with getting the bus and so on for OB, I think that the idea of having dedicated places for things is a good one that we could all use sometimes! xx

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    1. That Cotoneaster one was taken on my phone! xx

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  14. Such an interesting post Em. First of all OB. He seems to be making progress and you do seem to be getting support from GOSH - which is all good news. Not so good on your insulin pump though.
    All I can say about those dogs is that by golly what a wonderful life they have. They look so fit and happy.

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    1. We're struggling with local services at the moment again but I'll bore you with that next time Pat. Fingers crossed I might hear from Exeter soon as well.

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  15. Just thought Em - re that yellow stuff on the grass and the fungi - go to Donegal Wildlife's blog (Stuart Dunlop) - he is marvellous at identification of such things and loves to help.

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    1. I've left Stuart a message so I'm hoping he'll come over and have a look; in a virtual sense!

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  16. Fantastic photos as usual Em, I especially love the photos of your dogs, I miss having a dog, one day hopefully I will get another.

    Good plan for getting organised, it is all about developing strategies.

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    1. Oh yes - you must get another dog! Just don't get two.........xx

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  17. Lovely photos - especially the frosty images - just beautiful :) Could the mysterious "eggs" be a type of slime mould? Glad to hear you are still getting support with OB and hope you can get something sorted out re: the insulin pump soon.

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    1. I don't know about the slime mould RR - we do get the transparent kind. These little yellow balls were quite hard to the touch.....not a big touch as I was a bit worried about damaging them or being poisoned!

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  18. Such photogenic dogs you have, Em! Not to mention the scenic landscape - beautiful in the sun, rain, mist and frost.

    I enjoyed seeing the Rooks, I was quite fascinated by them and the other English crows I'd see around the countryside.

    I know it must be a serious mission to get OB prepared and responsible on his way to adulthood, but the description of him leaving home with a piece of origami instead of a bag or coat did make me smile and think 'aww'. I was a Learning Support Mentor while I lived in London and OB seems familiar to me as one of those kids that may be challenging in some aspects, but is fundamentally a good little dude! He'll be right with such a great and dedicated Mum :)

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    1. He is definitely a good little dude! He started playing football tonight for the first time. He's never wanted to play on the team but I think it will do him a lot of good.....social skills-wise. If it's not origami he's carrying it's the rubick's cube.

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  19. Such splendid photos as always.
    Loved seeing the dogs having such a wonderful time.
    Other parts of your life seem pretty stressful so I applaud all your hard work at organizing things so they run somewhat more smoothly.
    Frosty pics are lovely!

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  20. Oh such beauty, bringing back so many lovely memories, thank you so much.
    Your misty pics are beautiful Em - I would love a print to frame of #18, and actually several more. The dogs are enjoying themselves obviously - their playground is stunning.
    Love your mum's plants, cotoneaster popular here too, and the fleabane is very attractive with its coating of frost, as is the foxglove. Not up much on identifying the fungi - they are colorful though.
    Super pics all, you have the eye!
    Hugs - Mary

    P.S. Good luck with the school bus situation - you sound like a very patient woman and I think must be appreciated more than you know. Hope they come through with the pump - my childhood home was just a few minutes from the Torbay Hospital. I was only a patient once, at age 5, when they took my tonsils out and I was in there several days. It was such a tiny place then, just the original red (sandstone?) building - very archaic!

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    1. Torbay is seen very much as the unfortunate middle child between Derriford in Plymouth and Exeter! They're not known for being very forward looking which is why I want to go to Exeter. Also, Exeter takes far less time to get to. It's obviously a lot bigger now than when you had your tonsils out though!

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  21. Lovely pix of the dogs - they have such a wonderful time running free! And I bet they love this frosty weather.
    I hope both you and OB are settling into the new routine.
    Love Lily xx

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    1. I think we are! I'm intending to stay here tomorrow morning rather than go in ahead of the bus. Here's hoping for more frost soon....it's been foggy all day today. xx

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  22. The dogs do live a cherished life! The are so lucky to be with you. Jack is very photogenic! Love the frosty photos. Frost always gives the landscape a crisp quality and is so fun to photograph.

    Good luck with OB's new routine. Very glad you have found support through GOSH.

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    1. We haven't heard back from GOSH yet after my long letter pleading with them to intervene at Devon CAMHS so I'm on tenter hooks at the moment. The dogs help with stress; I don't know what I'd do without them.

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  23. Hello, Em. Your yellow 'eggs' are certainly a Myxomycete: 'Slime mould'. These were thought to be allied to fungi, but are now associated more closely with animals: they can move.

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  24. The frosty pictures are so beautiful especially when I don't have to experience the coldness that goes with them! How do you manage to capture Jack so clearly when he is moving? Sarah x

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    1. It's very hit and miss Sarah and don't blow them up too much! It takes twenty or thirty shots to get one decent one. x

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    1. Thanks Mark. I love your little owl icon by the way.

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  26. Usual gorgeous photos Em, especially the frosty ones and the dogs. Hope you get the pump soon and OB settles into a rhythmic way of coping with everything, must try 'executive functioning' sound exciting. xx

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    1. It does, doesn't it? Yet another ridiculous name to make something sound more positive!

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  27. A great set of photos Em. We need more frost here- I miss the sharp crispness. If it's any consolation, L is hopeless at remembering/ organising himself too. My experience has been that boys are generally less efficient than girls where these things are concerned. xx

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    1. Absolutely CT. It's not just confined to those with Aspergers! xx

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  28. Such bouncy doggies! I'm used to one of those, sometimes I am astounded at how high Bracken jumps off the ground! What a pain about your insulin pump - all the processes of passing details on etc seems so inefficient doesn't it. I hope OB gets on okay this week with the bus and finds a good way of remembering the important things :) fab fungi shots and lovely misty frosty images :) x

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    1. Thanks Lou. Am still waiting to see the consultant about the pump but we'll see....I have everything crossed.

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  29. Love the frosty photos. Funny that we have had no frost up here in North Wales although today we did a fine line in hail!

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  30. Stress is nasty business playing havoc on our Health; hope things turn around soon for you. I can't believe we have the same cameras, your photos always look better then mine (I know it is the operator at my end). Stay well Dear Em xx

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